Computing-machine



vmuren STATES""`PATENT ori-lcs LoUIs Eu GILEs, F NEwfYonmN. Y.,Assieme?. vTo UNDERwooD ooiurtrrmo'Y MACHINE- COMPANY, oF NEW YoRx, N.Y., CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

COMPUTING-MACHINE.

Todllwhomtma concern.'

,putations, tiat is, of adding positive and negative numberslirrespective of their relative magnitudes, and of indicating thecorrectresult, whether )ositive or negative.

The invention is erein disclosed as an improvement on the deviceillustrated andA described in my prior application, Serial No. 331,585,filed October 18, 1919, which is, in turn,4 set forth as an improvementon a computing machine of the Underwood- Hanson type, such as the oneillustrated and described in the Patent No. 1,278,812, granted September10, 1918, to Hans Hanson. As in the case o'f my prior invention,however, the4 present invention is adapted for use in connection withany computing inachine having a re 'Ster or totalizer compris ingmovable num er wheels or other figurecanrying elements, and means foreiecting either addition or'subtraction by varying the positions of saidfigure-carrying elements.

In the form in which the invention is herein disclosed, as in myaforesaid improvement, I provide a duplicate4 set of figuresbearingelements or number wheels, coirespondingin number and relativearrangement with the number wheels of the usual totalizer, and Aconnecteach wheel of the set,'by means of an idler, with a corre spendingtotalzer number wheel. Also, as in the aforesaid rior improvement, Iprovide, for the ad ed set of number wheels, a sight-opening of a widthvs'uliicientto expose'two ad'acent rows of figures. The number whe'elsof the added set are so geared orfconnected to`those`of the totalizer,and the sight-openin are so disposed relative] to said wheels t at when.a of a. 4tota f' izer numberwheel is coincident with 4the 0" and a 9 oftotalizer sight-opening a the correspondingnumber 4wheel of the addedset will be in register, vith the double- \vidthsightopening,

Specification of Letters Patent.l Ptented plan 1 192i.-

A'ppncauqn med November 1a, i919,4 serial No. 331,656. Renewed Auguste?, 1920. serial No. 406,503'.4

In my above-mentioned prior application, 1t was explained that the addedset of number wheels and extra sight-opening afford means forindicatingresults of the oppo site character to the character of the re-60 sults ordinarily read from the usual sightopening, the results ofopposite character. being read at the wide sight-opening, partly fromone row of figures, and partly from the other.

As a means for facilitating the readings at the duble-widthsight-opening, my presont invention includes a variably settableindexing device, herein disclosed as a shield or shutter, which, whenset in a position 70 havingr a readily determinable relation withrespect to the figures exposed at the usual 'totalizer sight-opening,will conceal all u res of the two rows at the double-width sight-openingexcept those from `which a 7.5. reading is to be taken. Y

Although the double-width sight-openin has been herein disclosed inconnection withthe number wheels of the added set, itis within lthescope of my invention to transpose the relative positions of thesight-open-- ings in which case the double-width sightopening would beassociated with the usual totalizcr number wheel, and theV singlewidthsight-opening with the number wheels of the added set. Obviously, eithersight-v opening may be arbitrarily assigned :is-the, one from whichpositive readings may be taken, the other beingr used in the reading of-nega-tive results. g

From the"foregoing brief descriptiom it will be seen that the desiredend is attained without the .use 'of special carrying nicchie,` nism,mechanicallysoporated shutters, or, other compl icatcd mechanism, thusprovid, W5? ingr` a vei'y simple and: practical device whic will beinexpensive to produce,and not likely to get out of order'and disablethe machine, or cause it to give erroneous results,

Other features and advantages will -here- 10,9 inafter appear. ,-1 Inthe accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a topf-view of the frontlmrt4 ofa computing machine of the Underwood-, Hanson type, showing oneembodiment of my invention as applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the, front part of the machine'from frfmt'to rear, including an end view' of the usualtotalizer, theadded set of `number wheels 1,1 0

, ment applied thereto for ordinary arit and the idlers by which thewheels of the added set are geared to the corresponding totalizerwheels, and a section through the reading gage or shutter. 4

Fig. 3 is a perspective View ofthe reading ga e or-shutter detached fromother parts o the mechanism.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are views of the totallzer,V illustrating differentpositionsof the reading gage or shutter determinative of difierentreadings.

As hereln disclosed, the reference 'character 20 (Figs. 1 and 2) reresents the front part of the casing of an vnderwood-'Hanson combinedtypewriting and computing machine, including the usual sight-opening 21,through which' readings may be taken from the usual totalizer 22,comprising the usual number `wheels 23 and rack-bars 24. The usualtens-carrying mechanism for the totalizer and theA mechanism foradvancing the rack-bars, so as to o erate the number wheels, is fullydisclose in the aforesaid Hanson atent, and the machine thereinillustrate and described is in common use. The disclosure of thecomputing mechanism need not therefore Abe set forth in detail herein.

Geared to each of the number wheels 23,'

by means of an idler 25, is a corresponding number wheel' 26, of asecondary or subsidiary set of number wheels 27, the connection betweensaid number wheels being such that .each number4 wheel of the subsidiaryset will always rotate concomitantly with, and in exact accordance with,the corresponding number wheel of the totalizer 22. The subsidiarynumber wheels rotate in the same direction as those of the totalizer,and each is provided, at its periphery, withfa 0. and the di 'ts 1 to 9,as usual, but the digits on t e subsidiary number wheels are arranged ininverse order, as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 2, bythe figuresapplied conventionally to the sides of .said wheels. A

Instead of the usual narrow sight-opening, there is provided lin themachine casing 20 a sight-o ning 28 for the subsidiary number whee s,said sight-opening being of a width suilicient to expose two adjacentrows of the' figures thereon.

' When using a machine with my im rovelimetical addition andsubtraction, in which case 'the results are always positive, there'adings may invariably be taken from thetotalizer number wheels,through the narrow sightolpening 21, as usual. But, should the mac me becalled upon to eii'cct an algebraic computation, that is, if at anytimethe aggregate of the 'negative quantities added exceeds the aggregate ofthe positive quantities, so as to result in an overdraft` or to causethe machine to pass through 0, then the readings may be taken from thesubsidiary number wheels through the wide sightopening 28 and will beread partly from one row of figures and partlyfrom the other, theparti-cular figures to be read from the respective rows being determinedby a. reading gage or Shutter 29, after properly setting the same .in amanner hereinafter explained. A

The reading gage 29 may be so mounted as to slide between guide-plates30 secured by rivets'or other fastening devices 31 to the under side ofthe machine frame 20. The gage 429 may be provided with sightopenings32, and 33, one in register with the lower row of figures and the otherin register with the upper row of `figures of the two rows whichregister with the doublewidth sight-opening. The openings 32 and 33extend in opposite direction from the center of the. gage, so as to be,incapable of exposing two figures-of the same denominalVhen themachine'has been cleared, in

' readiness to commence a series of Computations. the usualtotalizeinumber wheels will exhihita row of Ois at the narrowsightopening '21, and theI subsidiary number wheels will'exhibit a rowof 0 sthrough the sight-openingi of the reading gage 29, indicated in.its n'ormalposition at the `extreme left in Figs. 1 'and 4, Startingwith the, machine in this condition, iet' it he as'- sumed that thenumber 3,120,760 is to be added to the number 876,421, andthat thelnumber 2,749,541 isA to besubtrac'ted therefrom. As the numbers aresuccessivelyset i up on thekeyboard 'and run intp the totalizer theywill be'- accumulated and the suc-` cessive results will appear'. at theupper or narrow sight-opening 21,'the arithmetical total of the threenumbers' being the positive quantity 1,247,640, as indicated, (Fig. 4).

Should the machine now be operated in an attempt to subtract the number2,109,614 from. that previously accumulated in the totalizer, thecorrect algebraic sum, which 'should he -861,974, would not appear inthe row Aof figures exposed at the upper sight-opcning as before, but,instead of this result, there would appear, as indicated in Fig. 5, acomplementary series of. figures 099,138,026, which, if added to thecorrect result, ignoring the minus sign, would be represented by a 1followed by as many 0 sf as; there are :denominational orders'or decimalplaces in the "tota-limer.` J It' is well known tolthose skilled inthefartl that th is will happen whenever the :number to be added slargerthan that previously accumulated in the totalizer and of oppositecharacter, as when a negative number is added to a smaller positivenumber.

It may be observed that the rst ligure' at the upper sight-opening,after the lastmentionedzal ebraic computation has been 'effected (seegig. 5), is a 9 instead of the usual 0, and this will always be truewhen a negative number has been added to a smaller positive numberpreviously' accumulated in the totalizer, plOvided the machine isnotused, to add or subtract numbers having as many digits as there arenumber wheels in the totalizer. In using a machine with my inventionapplied thereto, I therefore arbitrarily select one having at least onemore number wheel in its totalizer than the number of digits of thelargest number which it is intended to be capable of adding orsubtracting, and assign the highest number whe'el to a special purpose,that is, for use as a signal or warning, to indicate whether the resultis positive or negative. Under such circumstances, the highest numberwheel of the totalizer will normally exse a 0 at the narrowsight-opening 21.

his 0 can never be changed ,to 9" by adding 'positive numbers, except asa result of a-large number of successive computing o erations, andvn noevent could it be c ianged from 0 to 9 by adding positiveAnumbers,'except by being first caused to exhibit all of the digits l, 2,3, etc, in succession up to 9. It is well known, however, that thehighest number wheel will be invariably caused to 'immediately expose 9whenever any negative number is added to a smaller positive number-previously accumulated in th'e totalizer, so as tov result in anoverdraft and cause the machineA topass through (l. The appearance ofthe9? onthe highest number wheel at the upper or narrow sight-opening'21 may, therefore, serve as a Warning or si n al to the operative thatthe result indicate by the totalizer is negative, in which case thecorrect resultA may be obtained by setting the reading gage 29 in amannerwhich will now be 'described, and then reading the figures exposedat the sight-openings 32 and 33.

Referring again *to- Fig. 5, it'xnaybe ohserved `that the-last ligureexposed at the uppery or narrow sight-opening 21A is' a' significantfigure, that is, a digit rather than a (l. W'henever this is found' tobe the cas-e, the operative should. slidel the lreading gage to theright until 'the index-35 is in vregister with the last-mentioned digit,Gl i.: `the example illustrated, after which the .to be taken. v

correct negative reading 861,974 will appear at `the'iSight-openings32`and33g` as dicated at Fig. 5', all except the'la'st figure b'ein takenfromtbe lower row.f making-the reading, the operative should restore thereading gage to its normal position to the left. iii

Should the. machine now be 'operated'ih an attempt to add to the sumalread-yfaccumulated in the totalizer another "egaftive quant/ity, asfor example, -4.-,836`,Q26"it will be found that the 9 is stillexhibited by the highest totalizer number wheel-fat the sight-opening21, indicating thatthe'flefsult is again negative in character (see-'Fi'6). It may also be observed-thatitlie' lait significant figure exposedat the sightfopeiijing 21 is now in thousands place, alfl"to\tle rightof the 2 of that denominationnb'el ing 0 S. Under suchcircumstancc`s,'ftlie operative should move the reading gag'eflun"J tilthe index 35 is in register with thor-2 in thousands place, afterwhich-theiicorL rect -result 5,698,000 may be'takenftfrgm thesight-openings 32 and 33 (Fig-.6)a`sbe fore, the figures 569appearingatlthelower left-hand opening 32, and the fig 111258,00() atthe upper `right-hand opening 33'.

The rule suggested by the above `illlistra-f tive examples'isinvariable.4 Soilonglasi 0 is exhibited byV the highest: nuinb'eli wheelof the totalizer, the result isfpositiv and should be4 read from theupper sight# opening 21 inthe usual manner. Whenever a 9 is exhibited bythe highest number wheel at the sight-opening 21, the -resultzisnegative. The operative may then, #by merely sliding the readinggage'toward'gthe right until the index 35 is in registerwyitli the lastsignificant figure exhibited atthe sight-opening 21, take the negativereading from the sight-openings 32 and 33 of-the reading gage, whichwill conceal allf-igures in register withithe double-width sight-,opensingexcept those from which the reading "is The above-stated rule issimple variable in its application, and couldbe readily mastered byfanoperative in a negli-- gible space of time, after-which :thenega-ft'r've readings may be taken from the' ma chinel with the-'same degreeof ease and eef.4 cnracy as innreadi'ng the positive results-fin' anordinarytotalizer. i :t-:a3

no im;

and inl l sightiopening'lalid reading gage may be used in connection'-v'yith'eitherfsevofV numberwheels, and that 'either set of Tiguresmayused 4 to 'exhibit' positive' results; the other' being used toexhibit-negative results; 11n-32.'-

If -desired;' the 'figures on the. subsidiary.

cate positive results, and'those othesubf sidiary set red, to indicatenegative results. This, however, is in `no manner necessary, since thedifference in location and width of the sight-openings may be reliedupon as a means for determining from which .number wheels results ofeither character are to be taken.

Any appropriate means may be substituted for the idlers for causingcorresponding wheels of the two sets to be concomitanti rotated. In theform herein `disclose the number wheels of the respective sets rotate inthe same direction, and the figures on one set are duplicates of thoseon the other, except that they are arranged in inverse increasing orderof magnitude, that is, rotation, such as to expose figures on one wheelin increasing order of maginitudie,4 causes those of-the other to beexposed in decreasing o rder of magnitude. wheels be so geared orconnected as to rotate in opposite directions, the figures should beapplied to the number wheels in the same relative order, So aS to bebrought to the sight-openings in the inverse order explained above.

Any appropriate form of indexin device ,may be used which includes meansor positioning the saine in its proper position relative to the lastsignificant figure exposed at the narrow sight-opening, and which hasmeans for selectively directing attention to the 'figures of. the tworows from which a reading is to be taken at the double-widthsight-opening.`

Variations may be 'resorted to within the scope of the invention, andportions of the im rovements may be used without others. {aving thusdescribed my invention, I claim:

Y 1'. In an algebraic computinglmachinc, .in i

combination. a set of 'number wheels having figures by which positiveresults may be represented, a second set of number wheels having figuresby which negative results may be represented, means for causing eachwheel of, the second set to rotate concomitantly withl .thecorresponding -wheel of the first set, and i'ndexingmeans for directingatten-4 tion to one row4 of figures on the wheels of one of said setsfrom which a reading of one character may be taken, and for directingattention to fi ires of two adjacent rows on the wheels o. the other setfrom which a yreading of the opposite character may be taken, saidindexing means including a readingga e settable in a position such astoselectively direct attention to the particular figures of the twoadjacent rows by which a number to' be readis represented, l

2. In n n algebraic computing machine, .in combination, a setof numberwheels having figures by which positive results ma be represented, asecond set of number w eels having figures by which negative resultsShould the.

- taken, said indexing means including a variabl'y settable reading gagehaving open portions for selectively exposing, when set,

the particular figures of the two adjacent rows by which a number to beread is re resented, and having. portions for concea ing the remainingfigures of both of said rows.

3. In an algebraic computing machine, in combination, a set of numberwheels having figures by which positive results may be represented,indexing means for directing attention to one row of said figures fromwhich a reading may be taken, a second set of number wheels havingfigures by which negative resillts may be represented, means for causingeach wheel of the second set to rotate coucomitantly with thecorresponding wheel of the first Set. and indexing means forconcomituntly directing attention to figures of two adjacent rows on thewheels of the second set from which a reading may be taken, said'last-mentioned indexing` means including a reading gage settable in uposition such as to selectively direct attention to the particularfigures of the two adf jacent rows by which a number to be read isrepresented.

4. ln an algebraic computing machine, in combination, a set of numberwheels having figures by which posit-ive results 'may be represented,indexing means for directing attention to one row of said figures fromwhich a reading may be taken, u second set of number wheels havingfigures hy which negative results may be represented, means for causfing each wheel of the second set to rotate conconiitantly with thecorresponding wheel of the first set. und indexing means forconcomitantly directing attention to figures of two adjacent rows on thewheels of the second set from which a reading may be taken, saidlast-mentioned indcxin means including a variably settuhie reading gagehaving open portions for selectively exposing, when set, the particularfigures of the two adjacent rows by which a number to bc read -isrepresented, and having portions for concealing the remaining figures ofboth of said rows.

5. ln an algebraic computing machine, in combination, a set of numberwheels having figures by which positive results mav be represented, asecond set of number wheels having figures by which negative results maybe represented, means for 'causing each nam-12o wheel of the second setto rotate coneomtantly with the corresponding wheel of the first set, afixed index having a sight-opening for exposing one-row only of thefigures on the wheels of one of said sets, and a variably postionableindex havin sightopeni'n s for selectivel ex using res of two adjacentrows on the wiieels of t e other of said sets by which a number to beread is represented and having closed portions for concealing all otherfigures of both of ysaid 6. In a computing machine, in combination, aset of number wheels having figures by which positive' results may berepresented, an index for said wheels comprising a sight-openin forexposing one row only of the figures t ereon, a second set of numberwheels having figures by which negative resuits may be represented,means for caus- 1n cocomitantly with the corresponding wheel iof thefirst set, and a'variably settable in-4 dex for the wheels of saidsecond set having sight-openings for selectively exposing figures of twoadjacent rows thereon' by which a number to be read is represented, andhaving closed portions for concealing all other figures of both of saidrows.

7. In a computing machine, in combination, a totalizer having two setsof number Wheels, each having figures comprising a 0 and the digits 1%to 9, indexing means for directing attention to one row of figures onthe wheels of one of' said sets, and indexing means for directingattention to fi ures of two adjacent rows on the wheels o? the other ofsaid sets, said secondmen tioned indexing means comprising a movablereading gage having openin rs for selectively exposing the particulargures of the two adjacent rows by which a number to be readisrepresented to the exclusion of others.

8. In a computing machine, in combination, a totalizer having two setsof number wheels, each having figures comprising a 0 and the digits l to9, an index for directing attention to one row only of the figures onthe wheels of one of said sets, and a variably settabi'e index forselectively directing attention to one or more figures of one row, andto other figures of an adjacent row o'n the wheels of the other set.

9. In a computing machine, in combinaeach wheel of the second settorotate also having a proj tion, a-totalzer having two sets of numberwheels, each havinglfigures comprising figures of two adjacent rows onthe wheels l.

of the other of said sets, said second-mentioned indexing meanscomprising a movable reading age having openings out of alinernent witeach other and extending in opposite directions from a center line forselectively exposing the particular figures of the two adjacent rows bywhich a'. number to be read is represented, said reading gage alsohaving a projecting index pointer 1n line with the inner end portion ofthe righthand opening and capable of being moved during a setting ofsaid gage along the single row of figures to a point determinative of areading position.

10. In a computing-machine, in combination, a set of number wheelshaving figures thereon, a sight-o ening of a width sufficient to expose:two adjacent rows of said figures,

anda variably movable readincr gage having two openings, each of' a widtsufficient to expose one row only of said figures, said openings beingrespectively in registration with the two adjacent rows of figures onsaid wheels which 'rire in register with said double-width sight-openingand extending in opposite directions from a centerline.

11. A. reading gage for a computing machine, said gage having twosight-openings, each of a width sufficient to expose but one row offigures, said openings being out of alincinent and extending in oppositedirections from the center of the gage.

12. A reading gage for a computing machine, said gage having twosight-openings,

each of a width sufficient to expose but one row of figures, saidopenings being out of 'alinement and extending in opposite directionsfroin the center of the gage, said gage 'eating index element in linewith the left end portion of the righthand sight-opening by means ofwhich said gage may be positioned for the taking of a reading.

LOUIS E. GIM-GS.

Witnesses:

EDITH B. Lumix, CATHERINE A. Niiwnnx..

